Just a fic between Lily and James, based on the movie "10 things I hate about you" and the poem that's also titled that way.
O, and by the way…. I so don't own that movie or the Harry Potter series. I mean, if I did, than I would a.) make a lot of money and b.) be busy with writing book 7 (you know; just some random thing that the whole world is waiting for)
James threw his broom into the corner of his room. Actually, the Marauders' dormroom, but that meant the same. He walked to the mirror, which was a bit broken on the edges and had a few scratches on it. It clearly had been standing a long time around the Marauders. Normally, the mirror had mostly reflected guys, boasting and pepping up their confidence. But not this time. James looked in it. He didn't like what he saw.
In the reflection was a seventh year Griffindor, from whom he knew that he had a secret fanclub, made by a few second years. He supposed that the boy was indeed handsome, with his hair that stood up in a nice way. The glasses were a bit annoying, but even that he had learned to wear with flair. He had a good height, was in a nice shape, noting to complain about at all.
No, that weren't the reasons why he wasn't content with himself right now.
It were his eyes.
Last year, at the end of the school term, he had heard that he would become the Head Boy the next year. He wasn't supposed to hear it, but….. well, let's just say that you might hear things when you are under an invisibility's cloak in the teachers lounge. He absolutely wasn't happy with it, and didn't understand why they would want to make one of the biggest pranksters a Head Boy: a few teachers had thought the same way about it, he had heard.
Just the day before the train would leave, he found out why: he was called to professor Dumbledore's office, as was Lily Evans. There, he had heard officially that he would be Head Boy and at the end of the meeting, Dumbledore had sent Lily away, to have a private talk with him.
He had said that James hadn't been Dumbledore's first choice: Remus had been. James was a little disappointed at hearing that: I mean, no one likes to hear they're actually second choice. That couldn't be compared to the anger he felt when he heard the reason why Remus couldn't be Head Boy, though: The school board didn't want him to be one.
"You see, it was one thing for them to find out that there was a werewolf in school, being educated. I had to tell them after the little incident with Mr. Serverus, a few years ago. It is another thing for them to give this student the highest honour you could give a 7th year. They forbid me to do so, and even I can't wriggle my way out of this. That's why it is your job next year, to handle the task just as noble as your friend would have done. The ... ah.. "festivities" shall have to be kept at a minimum by you: people must be able to see you as a role model. I expect it from you Mr. Potter."
Dumbledore had then dismissed James. When he had opened the door of the office, he had noticed that Lily Evans still stood outside, apparently waiting for him.
"Were you eavesdropping?" James had asked.
"I just overheard a few words, Potter." She said vaguely and cold. "O, don't be afraid, I already knew for quite some time about Remus' his condition," Lily had added when she had seen his expression. "It's a shame that the board didn't want him to be a Head Boy. He would have made a good one and I would have someone pleasant to work with."
"Which part of the conversation haven't you heard?" he had asked sarcastically, ignoring her last comment. But Lily shook her head.
"James, Dumbledore is right. You have to grow up, not disappoint him or Remus and stop with the pranks next year." Then she had left him standing there, flabbergasted. That was the first time since 4th year she had called him James. It must've been a miracle.
And more miracles had happened. Remus had smiled, Peter had let his mouth hang opened and Sirius almost cried when he heard it (okay, drop the word 'almost') but James had become a Head Boy, and had stopped with the pranks. (except on Sirius' birthday and April's fools day, he had promised Sirius when he wouldn't stop crying) He had become serious.
And that's what he right now hated about himself. His eyes looked dull. He wasn't happy with being himself.
He just came from the field where his first Quidditch-match had been. Normally, he would have came down, looked into the mirror and saw his eyes, still in awe about the wonderful thing called flying and the good combination it made with the subject winning. Now, his eyes were the same as ever. Boring.
It hadn't been for Dumbledore, the changing. Sure, he was part of it, as was the fact that he would soon leave school and a dark wizard was killing people outside of school. But that still hadn't been the main reason for him to become this... this dull-responsible person.
Lily had been.
Or to be more precisely, the fact that she had reprimanded him for the last time, had called him by his first name, and that at the exact same time, he had decided that he would given up on her.
He had finally seen, what Sirius had told him ages ago (no, not the fact that if you stared hard enough at the stars, you would see the word 'SEX' in them, the other thing:) Lily Evans really didn't like him and he was foolish for ever hoping so.
He had sworn himself that he wouldn't ask her out anymore and wouldn't annoy her. Of course they had bickered this year, that was just a physics' law and they hardly couldn't be, with al the time they were forced to spent. Lily had pursued the teachers long enough, so they had finally gave in to a Christmas Party in the Great Hall, on the condition that Lily and James had to organise it. And such a thing came with a lot of stress and disagreements.
But now he thought about the red-head, she had changed too. She was actually a bit nicer than last year. Off course she had demanded some things for the feast James absolutely didn't agree to. (being formal, not to much alcohol, coming as couples) But besides that, she was quite nice to him, now he had stopped being "childish" and had started to become responsible.
The disagreement about coming as couples had been strange, now he recalled it:
"….and people should come as couples."
"No Lily, you can't do that! Do you take pleasure in making every Hogwarts' boy miserable? Now they have to ask girls to come with them!"
"I don't see the problem, James."
"They have to ask a girl out. They have to embarrass themselves."
"Yes, you know all about that, don't you?" she had asked him with a smile playing around her lips.
He didn't say anything, not sure how to react.
Lily went on: "But I actually think that the boys around here aren't just all as stupid like you, and will stop asking a girl out when she says 'no' the first time. That way, they can spare themselves from the next 5000 humiliations when the same girl still says 'no'." a grin was on her face, but James hadn't noticed. Why did she bring that up? As if it hadn't been humiliating enough all those times!
"O, cut it out. I know what you are talking about. I was also there, every time I asked you out, remember?"
She had shut her mouth immediately and the smile had faded away.
"Yes I do and I'm sorry I said 'no' every time." She had answered softly.
There was some silence and James met her eyes, not sure what that last comment had meant. Then she had said:
"You know what? Instead of doing it old fashioned, the girls can also ask the guys. That way, they don't have to sit helplessly when they aren't asked out by the right guy."
"Why? So you can ask the guy out you like?" James had asked.
"Maybe." With that mysterious answer she had gathered her stuff and had walked away. He had reminded himself inwardly that he had sworn not to ask her out, and give her up, but still he could feel some jealousy towards the 'guy'.
This morning, the posters and flyers for the feast had been posted, and James had already been asked by a girl. He had said 'no' though. (To be precisely, he had said, that as Head Boy, he had obligations, and wouldn't be able to dance during the feast. That way, he hoped that it would disappoint girls before they asked and had to hear him say 'no') There seemed to be a difference between letting Lily go and actually dating other people. He had decided that going alone was the best way: if he would just supervise the whole night, he wouldn't have to dance, and the prefects would love him for he could cover most of their shifts. And Lily wouldn't have to do shifts of supervising at all: whoever the guy was, she could be all his for the whole evening.
He sighed. It was just the last week of October. That meant that there would be 2 whole months coming, in which he had to endure the sight of Lily being asked out by other boys. Or, Lily might ask the guy she liked soon, and he would have to see her being couple-y for two months. He sighed again and let himself fall on his bed.
The problem was that there al ready was something on his bed. Two pieces of parchment: one poem and one letter, both in a neat handwriting.
10
things I hate about you I
hated the way you talked to me, and the way you ruffled your
hair. I hated the way you pranked me I hated it when
you stared. I hated your big dumb ego-head and the way
you read my mind. I hated you so much it made me sick, it
even makes me rhyme. I hate the way you're always right,
I hated it when you lie. I hate it when you make me
laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when
you're not around, and the fact that you still didn't ask
me to the ball.. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate
you, not even close not even a little bit not
even at all.
The poem was not singed, and although James dying to know what stood in the letter, he couldn't help but notice that at some points in the poem it was past tense and at some points present tense.
He now fixed his attention to the letter:
Dear James,
Before I go any further, let me tell you that I'm the biggest fool in Hogwarts.
I am falling for a boy, who is just trying to go back to not-liking me. If I knew last year that you could be different in this way of the word, and what it would do to you, I never would have asked it.
O, believe me, I'm glad that my hair hasn't turned green this year because (and I quote you) "that way it would match your eyes" or that the howlers that contained love songs have stopped coming.
But if I knew, that with those idiotic things your sparkle in your eyes would also left, and if I knew, that I was quite in love with that sparkle, I never would have asked.
I like you, James. And please be yourself again. Please ask me out for the next dance, or Hogsmeade-trip, or famous snowball fight I know you and your friends hold every year when the first snow arrives.
Because if you don't, I will. And coincidentally, the Head Girl has just decided that it would be appropriate for girls to ask guys. (I heard the Head Boy had some trouble with that…. Was scared that she would ask other guys than him)
Love,
Lily Evans
Ps: the poem proves that I'm indeed the biggest fool in Hogwarts. It rolled out of my feather when I was trying to write this letter.
James stood up quickly, ran to the mirror and grinned: the sparkle was back. Maybe there was a way he could be responsible, but leave the "dull"-part out of it?
Please review….. please?????